Author: The Cocktails Must Flow

An upgraded version of the Cuba Libre replacing some of the rum with gin and adding lime juice and aromatic bitters.

I became aware of the Brandy Alexander from watching the US TV show The Big Bang Theory; this is one of the drinks ordered by Raj (alongside the Grasshopper).

A Brandy Alexander is a brandy-based dessert cocktail consisting of cognac, crème de cacao, and cream, that became popular during the early 20th century. It is a variation of an earlier, gin-based cocktail called simply an Alexander.

The Brandy Alexander featured in The Big Bang Theory TV show alongside the Grasshopper as favourites of the character Raj.

This is a slightly sweeter version of the Cuba Libre and includes amaretto.

The second of our cocktails this evening turned out a startling pink; the recipe did call for grenadine so that’s what we used; simply syrup may have been a better choice as that would have left us with a mango coloured drink.

However, this does taste of mango and is delicious.

This is an easy chocolate Martini recipe with a few easy replacements.

I use both a creme de cacao and a dark chocolate liqueur, but the former can be doubled to replace the latter; the single cream can be replaced with double cream or even milk (I’d not go below full-fat 2″blue-top” milk).

This is a variation of the vodka Martini replacing the vermouth with limoncello.

This is a variation of the vodka Martini recipe adding some freshly squeezed orange juice and replacing the vermouth with an orange liqueur such as Cointreau.

In all honesty, the right way to make a martini, shaken or stirred, is whichever way you prefer making or drinking it.

We polled on Twitter whether people liked their Martini’s shaken or stirred:

And got an overwhelming “shaken” verdict.

James Bond is noted for ordering a “vodka Martini, shaken not stirred”, but there is a general recommendation as to whether a Martini should be shaken or stirred.

The rough rule of thumb is that a Martini just using alcohol should be stirred and one using other ingredients, such as fruit juice or simple syrup, should be shaken. This is so that the other ingredients are fully mixed in which is easier when shaking.

So, according to this rule of thumb, suave as he looks, Bond should be asking for his vodka Martini stirred, not shaken.

However, going back to the opening sentence, the “right” way of making a Martini is whichever way you prefer to make and drink it.